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The more serious Orange warning has been changed to cover Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Cork, Tipperary and Waterford, from the whole of Munster earlier. The Yellow warning now includes Connacht, Donegal, Clare, Kerry and Limerick.

Met Eireann said: “Widespread lying snow and ice will continue to lead to hazardous conditions.

“There will be a risk of localised flooding due to rising river levels and there will be areas of surface water pooling. Mountainous catchments and urban areas most affected.”

The ESB was yesterday working to restore power to 6,000 customers in Wexford, while Irish Water reported about 18,000 people without supply, of which over 11,000 were in Wexford.

Around 66,000 customers experienced restricted flow. Householders have been urged to conserve water and increased demand could lead to pressure drop and possible night-time restrictions.

Met Eireann has forecasted rain as temperatures rise over the week but with drains and gulleys still blocked by ice the public has been advised to watch out for flooding hazards.

Cork city remains on a high flood alert as do county towns of Midleton, Youghal, Clonakilty and Bantry.

A high tide advisory remains in place and local councils continue to monitor sea levels, especially on the east and south coasts. The National Emergency Coordination Group warned parts of the east “are still in full crisis management mode”.

It added: “This is something we haven’t seen for 35 years and very challenging conditions exist in many areas.”

Deep snow in Wexford, West Wicklow and North Kildare means some communities have been isolated by huge drifts.

Schools are unlikely to open tomorrow in these worst affected areas.

The emergency group asked people to use public transport, which has returned with some restrictions and urged employers to stagger start times.

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Potential traffic on the M7 poses a challenge with heavy snowfalls in Kildare resulting in a restriction to one lane near Naas, Co Kildare. It was an extremely busy weekend for the emergency services with more than 1,000 ambulance calls were answered in 24 hours

The HSE has cancelled all non-urgent surgeries planned for today.

Outpatients and day surgeries, are expected to resume, apart from some areas still experiencing travel difficulties.

An Post said it was working through the night to ensure a return to full national delivery, collection and Post Office services wherever possible today.